On the 2023 Black Balloon Day, March 6, the Adams County Overdose Awareness Taskforce (OATF) will be on Lincoln Square in Gettysburg from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to honor those lost to overdose.
The event will draw attention to the tens of thousands of annual deaths related to opioid abuse and addiction in the U.S.
“Virtual” black balloons will be available that community members may release to honor their loved ones.
OATF will also be distributing free naloxone with a short training. Naloxone is a medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. It can and will save lives and can be a staple in any home’s first aid kit.
The lights in Gettysburg Lincoln Square and New Oxford Square will be shaded in purple to designate this special day. Members of the community are also encouraged to hang a black balloon outside of their house.
Black Balloon Day, started in Massachusetts in 2016, was the inspiration of family members to honor lost loved ones due to overdose. The event has grown from a local remembrance birthed out of a family’s loss to an internationally-celebrated day that shines a light on the opioid fight and honors those who have died — human beings who had families: parents, spouses, children and others who loved them and whom they loved.
Overdose is a real problem, but by educating ourselves about it and working together, we can reduce overdoses and save lives. For more information on this event or the Adams County Overdose Awareness Taskforce, please call Lisa Lindsey at 717-338-0300 x 109. Visit their website at www.overdosefreeadams.org.
I think this is a wonderful celebration of lives lost and an important recognition of the pain of addiction for many families. Just one request: For our environment and for our wildlife, please don’t release the balloons.
Kristin, there is no plan to release actual balloons. We will have paper and electronic black balloons for people to put a loved one’s name on.
I lost my Son Patrick Davis on the15th of April 2019. He was coming home from Frederick Maryland where bought it and stopped at a local restaurant and tried to enjoy another shot in a million if he die from this trash…He didn’t get the so called lucky and safe dose. My world rarely true and straight anymore as I always attempted to achieve each of my days. I pray the ballon awareness program works and saves our loved ones that are hooked on this trash. Losing a child to this senseless program HURTS THOSE LEFT FOREVER….GOD BLESS THESE FAMILIES… Read more »
Mr. Davis, I am so sorry for the loss of your son. If you would like to include your son in our International Overdose Awareness Day walk & vigil, please let me know.
My prayers are with you and your family.
Dear Mr. Davis – My heart goes out to you and your family for having lost your precious son. There are far too many sons, daughters, loved ones, who have fallen into the cruel hold of addiction, often not by their own choice. The pain of losing a child is unfathomable, but losing a loved one to addiction is often worse, as the undeserved stigma associated with this disease sometimes prevents folks from being sympathetic to the grieving family’s loss. I hope you have a strong support network around you. May you find some comfort in the good memories of… Read more »
I applaud your effort to bring awareness to this tragic social condition and the pain it causes live ones. But please reconsider the release of balloons
Ms. Hunt, we are not releasing balloons. We have paper and electronic balloons for people to place the name of their loved one on.